Warren Rohrer

Message Bearer

April 4 – 30, 2014

Featured News

In the 1970s, the late artist Warren Rohrer began arranging his square canvases around a grid of mark-making. This framework became the basis for more densely layered works throughout the 1980s. The layering of different colors of paint through his repetitive brushstrokes allowed him to explore both subtle shifts in color, and bold palette changes. Curator Judith Stein wrote in 1982 that, "Frequently the edges serve as a record of process, offering a partial window through the multiple surfaces which are otherwise difficult to disengage. Rohrer's paintings have the presence of ethereal forces, persuaded by his gestural eloquence into more permanent residence."

Press Release

Locks Gallery is proud to announce our twentieth exhibition of Warren Rohrer's work, Message Bearer. Locks Gallery began representing the artist in 1974. This exhibition features highlights of Rohrers (1927–1995) work throughout the 1980s along with paintings that have never before been exhibited at the gallery. Message Bearer will be on view April 4 through April 30, 2014 with an opening reception on April 4th from 5:30 to 7:30pm.

In the 1970s, Rohrer began arranging his square canvases around a grid of mark-making. This framework became the basis for more densely layered works throughout the 1980s. The layering of different colors of paint through his repetitive brushstrokes allowed him to explore both subtle shifts in color, and bold palette changes. Curator Judith Stein wrote in 1982 that, "Frequently the edges serve as a record of process, offering a partial window through the multiple surfaces which are otherwise difficult to disengage. Rohrer's paintings have the presence of ethereal forces, persuaded by his gestural eloquence into more permanent residence."

Rohrer's study of the perception of color reflected his interest in expanding painterly abstraction while at the same time referencing the Lancaster and Pennsylvania landscapes he drew inspiration from. In a 1989 interview with the Smithsonian Archives of American Art Rohrer stated, "I learned to think about the landscape as being a message bearer. It gave me information about forces greater than I am."

Warren Rohrer taught for 25 years at the Philadelphia College of Art. His paintings are represented in many museums collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Denver Art Museum, Smith College Museum of Art and the Delaware Art Museum.